Unit 204 (East Walker River and the Pine Grove Hills)
Nevada Hunting Guide — Bighorn Sheep
Unit 204 covers about 448 square miles of Lyon and Mono counties, where NDOW's desert bighorn herd lives in the ridges, hills and canyons along the East Walker River. It's a ram hunt that starts on the river roads and turns into steep, rocky hiking, with sheep using both banks of the river.
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Bighorn Sheep Hunting in Unit 204
Unit 204 covers about 448 square miles of Lyon and Mono counties, where NDOW's desert bighorn herd lives in the ridges, hills and canyons along the East Walker River. It's a ram hunt that starts on the river roads and turns into steep, rocky hiking, with sheep using both banks of the river.
Where to Find Desert Bighorn in Unit 204: the East Walker River from the Elbow to the Flying M
The East Walker River, from the Elbow to the Morgan Unit
NDOW's sheet for Unit 204 ties this herd to one river corridor. The sheep live in the ridges, hills and canyons of the East Walker River, and the stretch the agency wants you to learn runs from the bend it calls the "Elbow" downstream to the Morgan Unit, the old Flying M Ranch. That's about 26 miles of river running northeast. Sheep are found on both sides of the water, so don't ignore a bank just because the road happens to follow the other one.
Raccoon Beach and the West Walker hot spring
The sheet also suggests scouting Raccoon Beach and the hot spring area on the West Walker River. NDOW gives each of them only a passing mention, so treat them as stops on a scouting trip rather than proven ram country.
Above the river the ground rises into the Pine Grove Hills, and named summits such as Bald Mountain, Beauty Peak and Mount Etna fall inside the unit line. The sheet doesn't send hunters to those peaks. It sends them to the river breaks, and that's where to spend your time: the canyon walls and side ridges that drop to the East Walker between the Elbow and the Flying M.
The ground NDOW draws for this tag
A bighorn sheep tag for this group is good in unit 204, about 448 square miles measured on NDOW's own boundary, in Lyon County. The one named range inside the line is Pine Grove Hills. The highest named points are Bald Mountain (9,523 ft), Beauty Peak (9,010 ft) and Bald Peak (8,797 ft), and the lowest named ground sits near 4,550 feet. We don't print a land-status split for Nevada groups, because the figures we held didn't come from BLM's surface-management data; check BLM's current map for private parcels before you cross a fence or a cattle guard. GNIS names 20 springs inside it, Pine Grove Spring, Paralde Spring, Booker Hot Spring and Mickey Canyon Spring among them.
Unit 204 terrain and land status
Measured from the unit boundary, not from the agency write-up
The lay of it
- 5,105–8,405 ft on a terrain sample , averaging 6,437 ft ; peaks can run higher.
- 448 sq mi inside the boundary.
Water on the ground
- 53 springs
- 6 stream segments
Counts from mapping data, so this is how many exist, not how many hold water in a dry year. Sitting water only pays where you find fresh tracks.
Named features inside the unit
Glass from: Bald Mountain (9,523 ft), Beauty Peak (9,010 ft), Pine Grove Hills (8,638 ft), Mount Etna (7,393 ft)
Holding ground: Pine Grove Summit (8,261 ft), Lobdell Summit (7,876 ft), East Canyon (6,566 ft), Beechers Spring, Dead Ox Spring
Every one of these was tested against the unit polygon before it went on the map. They are starting points, not agency recommendations.
How to Hunt Desert Bighorn in Unit 204: two river approaches and a lot of climbing
Bighorn Sheep Success Rates
Any ram, any legal weapon: 1 of 1 hunters afield (100%). Figures are NDOW's own, from its 2025 Big Game Hunt Data.
Bighorn Sheep Draw Odds
| Season | Tags | Applicants | Draw % | Pts (n/p) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rifle — Mid Season ram only (resident) | 2 | 114 | 1.8% | — |
| Rifle — Early Season ram only (resident) | 2 | 136 | 1.5% | — |
Data from 2024 draw results. Each row is one residency pool — read the label before the number. This agency publishes no point thresholds, so the Pts column stays blank and these are pool odds, not what a point total draws.
Open in Draw Odds EngineFrom NDOW's 2025 Big Game Hunt Data. Demand is NDOW's count of tags awarded plus first-choice applicants who did not draw; its draw rate is tags over demand.
- Any ram, any legal weapon — Residents: 136 demand for 2 tags, a 1.5% draw rate.
NDOW's hunt data publishes no points-required figure, so none is given here.
Unit Logistics & Expectations
Frequently Asked Questions
Which units does a Nevada bighorn sheep tag for 204 cover?
What was hunter success for bighorn sheep on units 204 in 2025?
How hard is the bighorn sheep draw for units 204?
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Upgrade to Pro — $49/yrSources & Verification
Every fact on this page is tied to a primary source below. Last fact-checked 2026-10-25.
- Hunt Information Sheet — Desert bighorn sheep, 204 — Nevada Department of Wildlife · supports: Access, Recommended hunting areas, Biologist comments · accessed 2026-10-25
- 2025 Nevada Big Game Hunt Data — Nevada Department of Wildlife · supports: Seasons, quotas and tags issued, Demand and draw rate by residency, Hunters afield, successful hunters and hunter success, Days hunted · accessed 2026-10-25
- NDOW Hunt Unit Boundaries — unit groups (ArcGIS) — Nevada Department of Wildlife · supports: Units 204, 448 square miles · accessed 2026-10-25
- Geographic Names Information System — named features inside the group — U.S. Geological Survey · supports: Pine Grove Hills, Bald Mountain 9,523 ft, Beauty Peak 9,010 ft · accessed 2026-10-25